The Misleading Eighth Seed: Why Gotham FC Is the Most Dangerous 'Underdog' in the NWSL Playoffs

Gary Gibson

11/08/2025

The narrative surrounding the Gotham FC vs. Kansas City Current quarterfinal is dangerously simple: Goliath meets David. KC, having set an NWSL points record and steamrolled the league, is seen as invincible. Gotham, struggling into the final playoff spot at eighth, is viewed as a sacrificial lamb.

This framing is fundamentally flawed. Gotham FC is not a typical David. They are the reigning champions and inaugural Concacaf W Champions Cup winner whose regular season performance was hobbled by an unfortunate combination of factors: integrating a newly-minted roster of superstars, navigating critical injuries, and attempting to align an overwhelming amount of high-level attacking talent into a cohesive system.

Their eighth-place finish masks a team with the second-best goal differential in the league. This is a clear signal: Gotham isn't bad; they are inconsistent. And in a single-elimination tournament, inconsistency gives way to the only thing that matters: the ability to execute a high-level game plan for 90 minutes. Making the playoffs is the hardest part. Any team in the playoffs is capable of winning three games in a row. Do not count out any team. Gotham is also the first 6 seed to win the championship winning all three games on the road. They can absolutely do it again.

KC is the giant, but Gotham is the armed, talented giant that just happens to be underperforming. Tomorrow, the talent will show up, and here is how they will tactically beat the best regular season team in the NWSL (possibly history).

The Crack in the Current’s Armor

Kansas City’s dominance is built on a high-octane counter press and lethal attack, but their armor has two visible cracks Gotham can exploit: injuries and the defensive transition.

1. Exploit the Injury Uncertainty: The Current enters the playoffs with major question marks surrounding key players like Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga and lethal attacker Bia Zaneratto. Even if they play, they may not be 100%. If these attackers are slowed, KC’s aggressive press—the engine of their tactical identity—will lose intensity, giving Gotham's midfield more time on the ball. If those stars are not at full fitness, Gotham needs to exploit the communication and sharpness gaps in a less settled KC attack.

2. Target the Defensive Transition: While KC’s settled defensive block is stellar, the NWSL is a league defined by success in the transition moments. As an aggressive pressing side, Vlatko Andonovski’s 4-3-3 relies on wide players and fullbacks pushing high, which can leave space behind the defensive line following a turnover.

Gotham, featuring rapid players like Midge Purce and the transitional genius of Rose Lavelle, must play through or over KC's press quickly. Gotham is lethal when they can break a line with a fast dribble or a sudden, incisive vertical pass. This is not the time for patient, slow build-up; it's time to leverage speed and world-class vision to get at the heart of KC's defense before they can settle.

Gotham FC’s Tactical Roadmap for the Upset

Yes, Gotham FC has yet to beat the KC Current. Coach Juan Carlos Amorós needs to draw inspiration from their most recent loss to KC—a 2-0 defeat where Gotham surprisingly controlled 58.4% possession and held KC to just 0.69 Expected Goals (xG). The blueprint for control is there; the missing ingredient was clinical execution. Both of KC's goals came from miscues defensively. Concerning but easily fixable by simply being more disciplined and not messing around in the back.

1. The Mandate: Score First, Weaponize the Pressure For Gotham, the first goal is non-negotiable. Throughout a season marked by inconsistency, they have not proven capable of reliably fighting back from a deficit. Conversely, KC’s season of unprecedented dominance means they have rarely, if ever, faced the pressure of chasing a game in a high-stakes, knockout environment. A Gotham opener immediately transfers all the psychological weight onto the Current. The home crowd, usually a weapon for KC, could become a source of anxiety, leading to rushed passes and defensive disorganization—a situation the Current simply has not been tested in all year.

2. Midfield Discipline and Lavelle’s Link: Gotham must win the battle of central control. This starts with a disciplined holding pivot, allowing Rose Lavelle freedom to operate in the half-spaces and between KC's defensive and midfield lines. Lavelle’s ability to draw defenders and execute a killer pass is the key to unlocking the KC backline. Her performance in the final third will be the meter stick for Gotham’s success. Hasbo must play a bigger role in this one. Howell will be most likely tasked with eliminating service through the lines to Chawinga as she makes probing diagonal runs across the back line. Hasbo may have to sit deeper and pick up the central space vacated by Howell as she gets dragged around. Both Bruninha and Midge Purce must be in sync in this one. Midge must cover when Bruninha gets forward as Debinha is too smart a player and will sit in that vacated space and wait. The right side is Gotham's feast or famine.

3. Win the Set Piece Battle: In a tight, low-scoring knockout match, set pieces are gold. KC has the best defense, but one well-delivered corner or free-kick is the perfect equalizer against pure talent. Gotham must be clinical and aggressive on all dead-ball opportunities, using the cleverness of players like Emily Sonnett and others to create chaos. KC's fist goal against Gotham in the last game came off a set piece and against the run of play. This goal shocked Gotham and they were not able to recover. They need to turn the tides in this regards.

4. The Crucial Final Pass: In their previous meeting, Gotham had possession but lacked the final, cutting edge. They must take fewer speculative shots and focus on forcing the ball into high-value shooting areas. This is where their attackers (Purce, Jaedyn Shaw, or whoever leads the line) must finally click—not through overpassing, but through ruthless focus on finding the feet of their striker. Whether that is Esther, Stengel, Geyse, or Portilho. Gotham has not been ruthless all season. What better place to start than here?

KC has the Shield, the records, and the home-field advantage. But Gotham FC has the experience, the pedigree, and a core of world-class players who know their season has been a disappointment and have one last chance to right the ship. This isn't David versus Goliath; it's a sleeping giant finally waking up at the most dangerous time. Anyone counting Gotham FC out is a fool.